Chinook Salmon

Onchorhynchus Tshawytscha

By Timothy Kusherets

This Chinook salmon displays a dark olive green complexion and loss of scales, which is indicative of a fish preparing to spawn. Salmon that are near ready to spawn should be handled with care. When holding them, position one hand under the belly and the other around the caudal wrist (tail). Never touch Gills or the Gill Plate or risk mortally wounding them! Before releasing these "mature" salmon take the time to fully resuscitate them by moving them back and forth in the direction of current flow. To release them simply open both hands at the same time and let the salmon swim away under its own power; it if cannot swim on its own then take more time to revive it.
To ensure a good gene pool I've personally taken as long as four hours to release a bright monster fish. I don't expect others to put in the same kind of time, rather, believe that if each of us places value in the catch we'll be far more willing to take necessary efforts to release healthy fish.

The Chinook Salmon is also called Tyee (over thirty-pounds), Black-mouth (Two-year-old Chinook), and King Salmon. Names of this fish change very little by the region but all of them are one-in-the-same fish...Chinook. The distribution of this fish is found along the Eastern Pacific Ocean from Southern California to the Aleutian Islands off the Coast of Alaska. Canada has a huge distribution of this species of salmon that stretches the entire west coast of the Country with the lion's share of it being harvested in British Columbia. Chinook salmon have been introduced to the Great Lakes of the United States. Their feeding and spawning habits remain the same as though they had never left the west coast of the country. The location of this species of fish does not influence its physiology and does not prevent it from dying soon after spawning; however, until it does it is a great fish to angle for and can be cooked in a variety of tasteful ways sure to please the most discriminating palate.
It is an extremely important food fish that is shipped around the world. The western Pacific Ocean countries rely heavily on harvesting these salmon eggs for caviar in countries like Russia, Japan, and China. Recreationally, it is one of the most popular species of fish in the world offering enthusiast a chance to test their skills in fresh and saltwater environments.
Amongst all salmon it is a giant in size and the amount of years it can spend out at sea. With world record sized fish well over a hundred pounds this particular species of salmon has been known to stay out to sea for as long as eight to nine years, and with the pacific salmon dying soon after spawning it makes this fish the grandfather of them all.
Saltwater anglers prefer to fish for them with downriggers, dodgers, baits, and 3/0 to 5/0 treble hooks. Dawn and dusk are the favorite times to fish for them, whether fishing from shore or from boat.
Since this is the largest species of fish all offerings should be large enough to get their attention without putting them off the bite. Never fish for salmon directly on the sea bed as they are neutral feeders and prefer to “hunt” down their food rather than scavenge.
In freshwater, the largest chinook salmons can be found in the deepest recesses in the fastest waters where they are often times overlooked by anxious anglers. Most of the time they hold in deep water without ever revealing themselves so it’s a good idea to learn how to “read” water before heading out to fish Rivers and Lakes. In this environment they cease to actively feed so bait's usually don't work on them. Corkies, Spinners, and Spoons are what entice most of these fish. Productive sizes range from No. 10 corkies, to No.3 spinners, to ¼ ounce wobbler spoons. Spinners and spoons never need to have weights attached to them to get down for proper presentations. Corkies require some kind of weight since they're buoyant; make sure to vary the length of the leader on the basis of water color. Scent should be applied for the sole purpose of masking human scent, which will otherwise put these fish off almost instantly.
In the sea, Chinook feed on herring, sand lance (also called candlefish) and many other baitfish ranging widely in the ocean. They show the greatest amount of growth in the last year of development prior to migrating to spawn in coastal rivers as well as the Puget Sound. Those spawning after three or four summers of feeding at sea weigh from fifteen to fifty-pounds. Fish returning to spawn prematurely are called jacks.
As part of their feeding process, schools of Chinook will force baitfish towards the surface of water. The struggling baitfish draws the attention of seabirds that dive into the water in an effort to obtain the available food source. The birds force the baitfish down while the salmon hold them in check from underneath. While some salmon race through the ball of struggling baitfish, they lash their tails to and fro, which stun many that fall below the ball where they are eaten by the rest of the waiting school of salmon. Ordinarily this feeding continues until either the school is dispersed or the baitfish is consumed entirely.

There are a few definitive ways to identify a Chinook. The mouth will be almost entirely black, hence the name “black mouth” for two to three-year-old Chinook. The spots on the caudal fin will appear from top to bottom. The rays on the anal fin will be greater than twelve, anything less than that and the fish you have in your hand is a trout.
Chinook are not sexually dimorphic (there is no outward sexual difference in appearance) until it is time to spawn. During the spawning cycle their last phase of maturation begins where the kype (lower jaw) and the maxillary (upper jaw) become exaggerated, predominantly in the male. The colors of the Chinook during its final stages of maturation are strong indicators of how close a salmon is to completing its spawning cycle. Dark brown and green are the shades to watch for if you just want to fight Chinook as opposed to eating them. The belly of the female becomes very wide and the anus length is exaggerated. If you pick up a female by the jaw at this stage her eggs will evacuate the body involuntarily and the strain of handling the “hen” in such a manner will send her into shock; she could die without having the opportunity to spawn; ironically, there are fishermen who fish for hens during this stage to get her eggs for drift fishing. The eggs are completely loose in the last stages of maturation because the skein has disintegrated, rendering the eggs useless to most fishermen. The Chinook male underbelly becomes thin as it reaches a richer darker color than the female. The anus of the male becomes just as exaggerated as the females. If improperly handled the milt will involuntarily evacuate the body and the buck could die prematurely.

To determine if your catch is a native or hatchery reared fish look at the tail. If the “Adipose” fin is present it’s very likely that it’s a native fish, one that is previously untouched by humans. If the fin is not there it’s a sign that it's been clipped and has been hatchery raised. These are the primary ways to figuring out if a fish is a Native Salmon or Hatchery Salmon.

© Timothy Kusherets 2004/08